H.B. 7069 suit tossed: A Leon County circuit judge throws out a lawsuit by 14 Florida school districts challenging the constitutionality of the Legislature's 2017 education bill, H.B. 7069. The districts argued that the bill is unconstitutional because it takes powers away from local schools boards and forces districts to share local property taxes with charter schools. The state contended the districts had no standing to sue, and that their disagreement with the law was strictly political. The districts are considering whether to appeal. Orlando Sentinel. Tampa Bay Times. Politico Florida. The 74. 

School officers' pay: Resource officers being hired to protect Pinellas County schools will be paid more than many of the teachers in those schools. The new resource officers will be paid $46,410, which is about the same as a Pinellas teacher with 13 years of experience. One major difference: The officers work year-round, while teachers have set vacation breaks and time off in the summers. The district and the sheriff's office are hiring 156 new officers so every county school can have one, as required by the new school security law. Tampa Bay Times.

Audit raps state DOE: State auditors say Florida Department of Education officials obstructed their review of the state's administration of millions of federal student loans by restricting access or delaying responses. "This lack of cooperation and responsiveness created redundancies in audit requests, postponed or frustrated the performance of audit procedures, and provided our auditors little assurance as to the completeness and accuracy of some Department-provided information," auditors reported. Education Commissioner Pam Stewart defends her staff, saying the procedures cited by the auditor are "designed to ensure that responses are timely, accurate, and complete." Politico Florida. (more…)

Naming rights: The Lee County School District is starting to see revenue from its decision to selling naming rights to schools' facilities such as athletic fields, performance halls and libraries, and to sell advertising on the main website. Fort Myers News-Press.

District problems: The Florida Board of Education is still looking for a long-term solution to the financial and academic problems in the Jefferson County School District. The district has yet to adopt a budget, and some board members are pushing for a state takeover or a constitutional amendment to change the rules governing school districts. WFSU.

Rezoning plan approved: A committee of parents and school officials narrowly approves a rezoning plan to ease overcrowding at middle and high schools in southwest Pasco County. The first public hearing on the new map is Dec. 20, and the school board is scheduled to vote on the proposal Jan. 17. Gradebook.

Drivers file suit: Bus drivers file a federal lawsuit against the Sarasota County School District, alleging they are not being paid for any work they do beyond the time the district estimates it takes to complete a route. The group of current and former drivers is calling the district's actions "wage theft." Saintpetersblog. (more…)

Education budget: The Florida Board of Education is requesting that the state increase per-pupil spending from $7,183 this year to $7,359 next year, with the overall budget increasing about 3.4 percent to $20.9 billion. The proposal would kill the current teachers bonuses program and create a new $43 million plan, and boost funding for Bright Futures scholarships by $29 million. If approved at today's meeting, the request goes to Gov. Rick Scott and the Legislature. News Service of Florida.

Teachers needed: More than a month after school has started, several central Florida school districts are still trying to fill almost 100 open teaching positions. Orange County has 62 openings, Lake 22 and Seminole 11. Orlando Sentinel.

Cash gift for teachers: The mayor of Parkland wants to give $25,000 of the city's money to give to teachers as a gift. With matching grants, the gift money could grow to $45,000. Sun-Sentinel.

School grades: Some Florida schools improve their grades from the state after appealing the grades they were originally given. Gradebook. Virtual schools in Florida are among those to receive final letter grades from the state. redefinED. (more…)